Best Toys & Gifts for 5 Year Old Boys (a VERY picky 2019 list)

If you’ve been looking for the ideal toy or gift for a 5 year old boy, then we’ve got the perfect list for you.

Whilst he may be growing up fast, it’s important to remember that play remains the primary way in which he learns and develops his social, emotional and cognitive skills. With this in mind, we’ve hand-picked the best toys for 5 year old boys. They are perfect for his complex role play and fantasy games, and harness his increased ability to concentrate and solve puzzles.

Our Top Picks

- Carefully curated gift ideas for 5 Year Old Boys -

Your son can have a blast zipping around in this peddle-driven go-cart (check price on Amazon). The seat is comfortable and high-backed, and a handbrake makes it easy for your boy to control his speed and to stop.

There is a fair amount of assembly involved, and the Nerf Blaster guns do not come included. That said, this is a great toy to encourage coordination and physical activity.

Why He’ll Love It: Not only will he have his own vehicle, he’ll be able to use his beloved Nerf Blasters while he drives.

In our opinion BRIO (a Swedish company) make the best wooden train sets for children – hands-down! They have been at it for over 50 years, so accept no imitations. True BRIO equals quality.

Kids can create endless and epic arrangements of train tracks, and because the pieces are well made, they fit together easily and very rarely break. (It’s likely you’ll own it for decades.)

Often families buy BRIO a few pieces at a time but this deluxe edition(check price on Amazon) comes with tons of pieces straight away. Whilst this costs more upfront, your kiddo will be able to create a huge rail network from the get-go, and over time, it will actually save you money.

This is a wild sit-down segway that any five-year-old will love. With a top speed of 5mph and the ability to spin on the spot, he’ll soon be racing around the garden like Mad Max.

The Wild Thing(check price on Amazon) is operated by two joysticks which are intuitive to use. Just make sure that it isn’t used on the street without adult supervision as it’s very low and not easy for cars to see. That said, it’s rugged tires make it great for going off-road in parks and gardens.

Let’s face it, 5-year-old boys love toilet humor! Which is why they’ll love Hasbro’s “Don’t Step in It!”. It will have him laughing away with family and friends as players must dodge the poop that they create using a mold that is included in the game. To play, your child and his friends will use the spinner to see how many steps they must take while blindfolded.

Why He’ll Love It: This is a game that can be played with friends or parents. To play, blindfold your kid and spin them three times before telling them the result of their spin, and sending them down the poop covered path.

The adjustable handlebars can extend up to 34 inches meaning that it can “grow” with your child, or it can be interchanged between different kids. In addition, the scooter can be folded and stored away with the push of a button.

If you are looking for a great all-rounder for one or more children, then the quality build and adjustable handlebars make this classic scooter a great choice. (Not convinced? Check out the rest of our kids scooter guide.)

Learning Resources’ Code & Go Mouse (check price on Amazon) is designed to enhance your kiddos critical thinking and problem-solving, all while having fun and learning the fundamentals of computer programming.

This coding set is tactile and perfect for kinesthetic learners. It blurs the boundaries between learning and play. Your boy will have a blast as he follows code cards to create mazes for Colby the robo-mouse. Buttons, sounds, and colors make for a highly stimulating STEM experience.

Why He’ll Love It: With a set of 83 pieces, he’ll be challenged and delighted for hours as he builds and codes.

The Kinetic Sand kit (check price on Amazon) is a folding sanbox that will provide endless creative possibilities for hands-on fun. It comes with four raking tools and five different molds for working the sand.

The “magic sand” binds to itself and is super soft, making it very easy to mold, sculpt, and hold incredible detail.

Why He’ll Love It: He can enjoy the building sandcastles while at home. And a cool bonus is that it won’t stick to anything but itself.

Minecraft might baffle most adults, but for boys these days, it’s basically a staple of pop culture. With this Minecraft Wall Torch(check price on Amazon), you can bring part of the video game into the real world and encourage some great creative play.

Although the batteries and mounting hardware don’t come included, this toy really lights up and can be hung on the wall.

Why He’ll Love It: Your son will enjoy bringing his favorite console game to life as he plays with this torch. Even if he isn’t into the video game, these make for some pretty fun room decorations.

The technology in this drone allows for a stable flight that is easier to control than many other models. Additionally, the Cheerwing Syma Drone(check price on Amazon) supports video and imaging on IOS and Android phones and can be controlled from up to 50 meters away.

While it doesn’t have the same quality as the more expensive and advanced models on the market, it’s a great way for you and your child to enter into the world of drones.

Why He’ll Love It: Although it’s a bit too advanced for your little guy to operate on his own, he will love watching the real-time pictures and video as you fly it around. And with parental support, he’ll begin to master flying it by himself.

What better way to begin explaining fire safety to your son than with a fun box of toys? Not only can this PLAYMOBILE Firetruck(check price on Amazon) be used to teach valuable, potentially life-saving lessons, it will also help your little guy expand on his fine motor skills and grow his imagination. It’s also ideal for group play, so invite those friends on over!

Why He’ll Love It: The firetruck comes equipped with lights and noises, as well as a ladder that extends. Your boy can also bend the figures into sitting and standing positions, as well as turn their heads, so the action looks that much more real.

These gorgeous wooden blocks (check price on Amazon) are colored with non-toxic stains and are so well crafted that they may well be passed down the family for years to come. They are perfect for working on those fine-motor skills while your son enjoys either stacking them up or making the puzzle in the box. It’s educational too and will get you talking about the four elements – earth, fire, water and air – and the vibrant colors associated with them.

Why He’ll Love Them: With so many possibilities from this simple design, your boy will be kept busy for hours playing with this imaginative puzzle.

The makers of this toy took into account how children play by making their large pieces especially durable. Jigsaws are great at promoting cognitive growth, fine motor skill development, and allowing a child to learn the benefits of delayed gratification.

Why He’ll Love It: Your boy will feel a real sense of accomplishment as he puts this puzzle together. When it’s done, you can frame it and hang it on his wall to remind him that persistence leads to something beautiful.

This 239 piece set will keep your little guy entertained for hours, especially if he loves trucks. Not only is this City Race Team kit(check price on Amazon) fun for encouraging imaginative play, it will also improve his fine motor skills and ability to follow direction.

Why He’ll Love It: Your boy will love assembling the pieces to make the vehicles and trailers, and he will delight in producing his own stories for the two included LEGO figures.

Toys & Gifts by Age

What to Expect From Your 5 Year Old Boy

Your 5 year old boy is mastering complex language and reasoning skills. In fact, he’s often a bit too clever for his own boots! He is also developing new physical skills and will often love showing them off.

Body, Hand and Finger Skills

Capable of craft skills, such as cutting with scissors, threading and tying knots

Emotional Development

Able to express emotions, even complex ones such as jealousy;

Shows more concentration. Enjoys listening to longer stories;

Getting into competitive sports and physical games;

More in tune with body, eg, knows when he’s hungry;

Often prefers to play with friends rather than alone;

Respects friends property and better at sharing

Cognitive Development

Knows more than 5,000 words;

Begins to listen to what others are saying;

Understands past, present and future;

Writes first words;

Recognizes some numbers on clock;

Can state age, name and family members;

Learns right from left;

Can discuss the definition of words

Wrapping up

Your 5 year old is maturing into a sophisticated little person. But, wait, hold on! Though he acts older, he is still a child who loves nothing more than to have silly fun. This list of toys will harness his newfound skills and abilities whilst providing hours of fun.

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We are Neve and Keane (the parents), two unperfectionists looking for simplicity, meaning, and humor in parenting.

As ex-teachers and project managers, we get obssessed with researching and writing precisely. Hopefully, you'll appreciate this when reading our in-depth parenting guides.

Also, we love to get nerdy, testing and reviewing the gear that moms and dads (apparently) need. Hopefully, this’ll save you a bit of time for more important things, like your kids.

With care,

N & K xx

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